Christ Manifested to His Saints
Christ is a mystery manifested. Prior to His incarnation (Jn 1:14), and in ages past, this mystery was hidden. At the appointed time in history, Christ came from heaven, conceived by the Holy Spirit (Mt 1:20), born of a woman, as the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies, regarding the Messiah of God (Dan 9:24–26; Mt 1:1, 14, 16; 2:4; Jn 1:41; 4:25–26; Gal 4:3–5).
Humanity dwells in the domain of darkness (Col 1:13), under the dominion of Satan (Acts 26:18), the god of this world, who has blinded the minds of those who do not believe the Gospel of Jesus Christ (2 Cor 4:4). The Gospel mystery is Christ come into the world, and who has come into the hearts of God’s elect people — His saints (Col 1:26).
The riches of God’s glory is Christ, for only Christ dwells in the presence of the glory of God, with right standing. Christ, the God-man represents both God and man, in the covenant God initiated to reconcile men to Himself (2 Cor 5:19).
The covenant of grace has God as the active participant, and man is the beneficiary. As the representative Head of Israel, God’s holy nation of royal priests (Gal 6:16; 1 Pet 2:9), Christ’s work has secured peace with God for those who were formerly far off, outside the commonwealth of God’s covenant people (Eph 2:12–14).
This person, Christ Jesus, and His work were prophesied in past generations, and His first advent into the world was incognito. Only in His death, burial, and resurrection was Jesus declared the Son of God with power (Rom 1:4).
God is light, and the light of the world entered the darkness (1 Jn 1:5). The Greek word for this manifestation of the mystery of Christ is ephanerothe from phano, to lighten (Col 1:26). The revelation of Jesus Christ comes as light, and Paul wrote to inform the Corinthians, “For God, who said, ‘Light shall shine out of darkness,’ is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ (2 Cor 4:6).” This is Christ manifested to His saints.
The glory of God can only be seen by looking, as it were in the face of Christ. We must see Him as He is, face to face. The Holy Spirit illumines these encounters, as the believer keeps his eyes on Jesus, on the pages of Scripture (Heb 12:2). There, the Christian is taught, the knowledge of the truth, from the Word of truth (Rom 2:20; 1 Tim 2:4; 2 Tim 2:25; 3:7; Titus 1:1; Heb 10:26) . When the child of God opens her Bible, her prayer should be, “More light, more light, O God!”
The manifestation of Christ unveiled has a notable classification, in Colossians 1:26, “…the mystery…has now been manifested to His saints.” God’s elect people (Eph 1:4-5), indwelt by the Holy Spirit (Rom 8:9, 11), at the point of their new birth (1 Pet 1:3), are the blessed recipients of the unveiled mystery.
God has willed for them to see the manifestation (Col 1:27; Jn 1:13). The Spirit of Christ has given sight to the blind, even as Jesus Messiah gave sight to the man born blind (Jn 9) and to Bartimaeus at Jericho (Mk 10:46). Every vessel of God’s gracious choosing has their spiritual eyes made to see.
The instrument, used by the Holy Spirit, is the Word of Christ, a light to the Gentile believers. This Word is proclaimed to all creation (Mk 16:15). It goes out to those who will hear and believe (Rom 10:17). These are the called of the Lord Jesus Christ, His saints, who are beloved of God (Rom 1:6–7). Many hear the call of the Good Shepherd, but only the few are chosen (Mt 20:28; Mk 10:45). These are the sheep of His pasture (Ps 95:7; 100:3). They hear the voice of their Shepherd, and they follow Him (Jn 10:3).
The world hears Christ, in the same way as the apostle Paul’s fellow travelers heard the Lord on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:8). They heard the voice of Christ, but they could not see Him. Here is the difference between the Gospel call, where Christ is preached from the written Word, in the Spirit, and many hear, contrasted with the effectual call (Rom 1:7; 8:30).
The effectual call happens only in the heart of God’s elect. The light shines, but blind men cannot see. The voice of Christ is heard, in the preaching of the Word, but the spiritually deaf cannot hear. Christ commands, “Follow me,” but the spiritually lame remain crippled to heed the call. When Jesus healed the crippled man at the pools of Bethesda (Jn 5), or Peter and John, giving what they had to the crippled beggar at the Beautiful Gate (Acts 3), these men were given the healing power of God, and so it is with spiritual cripples made to walk in Christ, today.
The mystery of Christ, manifested to His saints, is yet another demonstration of the election of God. It is the transformation, by His grace, of those who were walking in darkness, but who have seen a great light (Is 9:2; Jn 8:12). This is the will of God, and of course, it is glorious in our sight.
David Norczyk
Spokane Valley, Washington
November 22, 2021
